ExMOPPresident
Hlaváček
(center) delivered his closing statement and gaveled the
meeting to a close at 11:01 pm, following successful completion
of the work. Delegates agreed to decisions on critical-use
exemptions for methyl bromide for 2005, conditions for granting
CUEs, revitalization of MBTOC; and postponed consideration of
further specific interim reductions for Article 5 Parties.
Closing statements were also made by Australia and the US.ExMOP President
Hlaváček
invited delegates to Prague (Czech Republic) for participation
at MOP-16.

Claudia McMurray (US) noted that the technical committees
including the MBTOC and TEAP must adhere to the mandate set forth by
the Parties.

Tamara Curll (Australia)
recognized the work of the Methyl Bromide Technical Options
Committee (MBTOC) in the critical-use process.

Above photo: ARGENTINA, BRAZIL
and the EC were asked to re-draft a proposal to defer
consideration on further adjustments on methyl bromide for Article 5
countries.

In
the morning Plenary, Oladapo Afolabi (Nigeria), Co-Chair of the
contact group on critical use nominations (CUNs), reported on the
group’s progress. He said progress was being made towards
reaching agreement on the draft decision merging proposal from
the US and EC. Co-Chair Jukka Uosukainen (Finland) informed that
a revised version of the proposal by Argentina concerning
Article 5 Parties’ accelerated phase-out agreements (UNEP/OzL.Pro.ExMP/1/CRP.8)
would also be available shortly. He further noted that two
options, on multiyear and one-year exemptions, respectively,
would be presented to the evening Plenary which is scheduled to
recovene at 7:30 pm (EST).

The
US asked that its proposed CUE for strawberries in California be
considered at the next MBTOC meeting.
Above photo: Claudia A. McMurray (US)

Janusz Kozakiewicz (Poland), Co-Chair of the contact
group on revitalizing MBTOC, said discussions focused on a
proposal by the EC (UNEP/OzL.Pro.ExMP/1/CRP.7). He said that
good progress had been made, but that some brackets
remained.

Contact Groups:

The contact group on revitalizing the Methyl Bromide Options
Committee (MBTOC) agreed that reports by the Technology and
Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) and MBTOC should include a
clear description of the nominating Party's request for an
exemption and of the reasons why TEAP or MBTOC did not
accept it, if they do not recommend any part of a
nomination. Participants
decided to postpone considering proposals by the US and the Netherlands
on standards of review, pending outcome of negotiations in the contact
group on critical-use nominations.

Left photo: Jonathan Banks (MBTOC Co-Chair
)

The contact group on critical-use
nominations (CUNs) completed its work by reaching agreement on a CUNs
proposal.

Right
photo: The EU in consultation with its member states on critical-use
nominations.